The people of Kokodiagbene community, host to the Otunana (Utulala) oil field, in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have condemned the divide-and-rule tactics of Chevron Nigeria Limited in the community.
The community urged the company to desist from such tactics for the interest of peace and harmony.
The people specifically raised concern over the company’s alleged “connivance with the Itsekiri ethnic group to register the oil field under the Petroleum Industry Act at the Corporate Affairs Commission as Abiteye, Makaraba and Utonana (AMU-HCDT), for Itsekiri benefiting communities”.
This was contained in a protest letter dated June 13, 2025 jointly signed by Comrade Ark Selegha and Gabriel Ukuli, Chairman and General Secretary of Kokodiagbene community, and addressed to the CNL General Manager, PGPA, Lagos; the Area Manager, Warri; and the Operations Manager, Escravos respectively.
They warned that they “will not condone this evil act which will no longer be tolerated and allowed to continue”.
“To avoid a total shut down of Chevron operations in the area, we condemn in strong terms this anomaly and injustice meted on the good and peace loving people of Kokodiagbene community”, the letter stated.
The people of Kokodiagbene community insisted that they “own the oil field which is located in the community and is less than 300km from the main town”.
According to them, “the original name, Utulala field, had been corrupted over time by the Itsekiri as Otunana field”.
They further stated that “the fraudulent registration of the AMU-HCDT by Chevron is a ploy by the Itsekiri to falsely solidify their claim on the field”.
They maintained that “should Chevron fail to stop forthwith with the registration, it will lead to a total shutdown of the flowstation permanently”.
The letter further reads, “The people of oil rich Kokodiagbene Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, write, in a strong-worded protest petition, against as well as reject the ongoing registration of Otunana (Utulala) field by the Itsekiri ethnic group, facilitated by Chevron Nigeria Limited at the Corporate Affairs Commission under the Petroleum Industry Act as Abiteye, Makaraba and Utonana (AMU-HCDT) for Itsekiri benefiting communities.
“It will interest CNL’s management and the general public to know that Kokodiagbene community is the rightful owner of Utulala now being referred to as Otunana flowstation, situated in the community, less than 5km from the main town of the community.
“It is imperative to send this warning and caution against any purported attempt by CNL, in connivance with some top Itsekiri management staff, to register the flowstation in an attempt to buttress their fraudulent fictitious claim.
“This serves as a last warning against CNL to desist from its old strategy of adopting divide-and-rule tactics by instigating ethnic conflict to enable them employ and deploy their kinsmen from outside their area of operations.
“We warn again, that we will not condone this evil act which will no longer be tolerated and allowed to continue, and to avoid a total shutdown of Chevron operations in the area, as we condemn in strong terms this anomaly and injustice meted on the good and peace loving people of Kokodiagbene community.”
“We therefore ask that Chevron stops forthwith with any further registration process as it concerns Otunana (Utulala) field. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine”.
Efforts by South South Punch to get reaction from the management of Chevron was not successful as of the time of filing this report.
